This article contains spoilers for WandaVision episode 5.
WandaVision's fifth episode had plenty of surprises in store for viewers, with one particularly massive reveal coming in the final moments. Among all of the story-driven scenes and revelations about the nature of Wanda's control over WestView was a quieter moment that may be hinting at a damaged relationship between two major characters in the MCU.
While discussing ways to get inside of WestView without being affected by Wanda's powers, the question of how much power Wanda actually possess comes up. Monica Rambeau mentions the fact that she could have defeated Thanos were it not for his massive blitz. "Nobody else came close," she says, which prompts everyone's favorite FBI agent, Jimmy Woo to remark, "I'd argue that Captain Marvel came close." The look on Monica's face at the mention of Carol Danvers says it all, and when Darcy remains on the subject of her powers coming from another infinity stone, she quickly changes the subject. It would appear that she has something of a grudge against the hero she knew so many years ago. So why exactly does she feel this way?
The answer to this question is made clear in the first moments of the previous episode when Monica rematerializes after five years of being wiped from existence by the infamous snap. In all of the panic at the hospital, she learns a devastating fact: In the time that she was gone, her mother's cancer came back, and she passed away. This scene played an important role in the MCU. It wasn't the first to show the consequences of people suddenly reappearing after five years (Spider-Man: Far From Home took care of that), but it was the first to show the sheer chaos, confusion, and fear that would accompany approximately 3 billion people all suddenly coming back at once.
Monica wasn't there to say goodbye to her mom, and something like that would definitely make a person feel more than a bit angry. Three weeks later, Monica returns to work at SWORD, with the acting director noting that she is the first person to come back. In that time, Captain Rambeau likely could have learned the entire story of what happened with Thanos, the Avengers, and the 'blip.' This is made apparent by her knowledge that Wanda faced off with Thanos and nearly won. However, she might have also learned that Carol Danvers was nowhere to be found on Earth when Thanos first attacked.
In Avengers: Endgame, Carol says of her continued absence of Earth, "you may not see me for a while," and "the things that are happening on Earth are happening everywhere, on thousands of planets." Captain Marvel is obviously taking care of quite a bit throughout the universe, and is unable to dedicate all of her time to what is happening on Earth. Considering the fight she puts up against Thanos in the final battle, having her around the first time probably would have helped immensely, but she was probably fending off some other intergalactic threat that could have been just as destructive.
However, it's unlikely that Monica, who was unable to be there for her mom in her final moments, would have a lot of understanding for this decision. She and Carol were very close, enough so that her choice of t-shirt actually inspired Carol's suit colors. It probably isn't so easy for her to just forgive and forget the fact that five years of her life were taken away because Captain Marvel was lightyears away instead of helping to defend her home planet and the people she supposedly cares the most about.
There are probably a few other factors in Monica's grudge against arguably the most powerful hero in the MCU. She might also feel angry about not seeing Carol in person since she was a kid, although this isn't necessarily confirmed. Still, before Captain Marvel finally does return to Earth in Endgame, it is suggested that she has not been around since the nineties. Abandonment can break almost anyone's heart, and Monica probably would have appreciated "Auntie Carol" being there for her while she was dealing with Maria's cancer diagnosis.
While the grudge is entirely understandable, is it really fair? If Spider-Man has taught fans anything over his many years of webslinging and crime-fighting, it's this: heroes will eventually let down the people they care about, because their great power comes with great responsibility. Captain Marvel has an immense amount of power and knowledge about the universe. For her, protecting the inhabitants of other worlds is just as important as saving the people of Earth. With that kind of wide-ranging heroic duty, it must be difficult to put the smaller things into perspective. She probably never forgot about Monica, but had to put the thoughts of her life on Earth aside in order to help everyone else in the galaxy and beyond.
This wasn't the only revelation in WandaVision episode 5, but it was one of the most emotionally relevant. It hints at a relationship that fans have not seen yet: that of the adult Monica Rambeau and Carol Danvers. This may be revealed further in the next Captain Marvel movie, but for now, it's yet another aspect of an episode that will leave fans speculating until there are more solid answers.